Advanced Search

Students help study green classroom

Davis Magnet School was chosen to receive a 'greenovation' by green building council.

A rendering of Davis Magnet School's new green classroom designed to collect hard data on the benefits of using environmentally friendly elements.
(Courtesy the Orange County Green Building Council / September 26, 2012)

The Orange County U.S. Green Building Council selected the Costa Mesa K-6 campus to receive a free "greenovation" of one of its classrooms in order to collect data on the financial impact of going green.

The council hopes to reaffirm anecdotal evidence that an environmentally friendly classroom is healthier and cost-effective.

"At the U.S. Green Building Council, our vision is to see all students in this generation in a green school," said Wendy Rogers, chairwoman of the council's Green Schools Committee.

At Davis, Rooms 7 and 8, were chosen for the experiment. Room 8 was slated as the control room and kept the same. Room 7 was updated with recycled carpet, paint and tiles that release lower levels of volatile organic compounds; lighting with dimmers; ceiling-like portholes, or "Solatubes," that let the sunlight in; and an energy-efficient HVAC system.

Room 7 teacher Kelly Lopez is still figuring out the lighting options, but has already taught one morning with the lights off and the Solatubes open.

Irvine-based school design firm LPA Inc., the Walt Disney Co., McCarthy Building Cos. and Sunbelt Controls donated the work and materials. A similar renovation would cost $130,000 to $175,000.

The air and heating system is the element that has the biggest impact on the classroom occupants' health, said Rogers, a design principal at LPA Inc.

A displacement ventilation system that distributes air in the room's four corners at ground level, allowing warmer air to be used and forcing bacteria and germs up.

The system is also silent and doesn't leave the students in the middle of the room stuck freezing all day under the ventilation pipe, Lopez said.

Over the school year, the council, with the aid of the students, will collect data on electricity use, room temperature, carbon dioxide levels and relative humidity, but also the benefits of sunlight and the overall happiness of students, Rogers said.

The council wants to use the information to show school districts that going green makes financial sense, even in difficult financial times, she said.

Lopez and her students moved into the classroom last week.

"It's great — the kids love it," she said. "The Solatubes are their favorite."

Facebook comments are not regularly monitored by Daily Pilot staff. If you believe a comment violates any of the below rules, please email Editor John Canalis at john.canalis@latimes.com and Web Editor Ann Haley at ann.haley@latimes.com. Staff will review and remove offending comments during working hours, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Daily Pilot reserves the right to remove, block or refuse any comment for any reason. When posting to DailyPilot.com, you agree to not provide comments that:

* are defamatory, threatening, disparaging, grossly inflammatory, false, misleading, fraudulent, inaccurate, unfair, contains gross exaggeration or unsubstantiated claims, violate the privacy rights of any third party, are unreasonably harmful or offensive to any individual or community.

* discriminate on the grounds of race, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation or disability, or refer to such matters in any manner prohibited by law.

* "flame" any individual or entity (e.g., sends repeated messages related to another user and/or make derogatory or offensive comments about another individual), or repeat prior posting of the same message under multiple threads or subjects.

* violate or encourage the violation of any municipal, state, federal or international law, rule, regulation or ordinance.

* advertise, promote or offer to trade any goods or services, except in areas specifically designated for such purpose.

*contain copyrighted or other proprietary material of any kind without the express permission of the owner of that material.

* violate any right of dailypilot.com or any third party.

* upload or transmit viruses or other harmful, disruptive or destructive files, material or code.